Follow our journey about raising a child with Down syndrome. These are journal entries that will be used for my book called,"Welcome to Our House" (Currently a work in progress.) Note: All written work on this site is protected by Canadian & International Copyright Laws.

Having a baby is special. For some, it’s a lifelong dream, for others, a wonderful surprise. Either way, many of us have thought about taking this journey and whether it’s planned or a pleasant surprise, we all have preconceived ideas about what our child will look and be like. But what if it isn’t what we planned or expected? This is a short story I have written for parents who have or are expecting an exceptionally special child.

Welcome to our House – An analogy

After many months of dreaming, you finally decide it’s time. You are going to build that perfect house of your dreams. You have saved and saved, and now it’s time to put your plan into action. You find a wonderful, perfect piece of land in the city. It’s exactly what you are looking for – because it’s the plan that everyone talks about. You envision the all brick house sitting on luscious green grass, surrounded by a white picket fence. Inside is a marble foyer leading into a family room with beautiful oak hardwood floors. Granite lines the kitchen counter tops and there is an island sink in the middle. Upstairs has four perfect bedrooms and the master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and an enormous walk-in closet, of course. It’s truly a dream come true, and it’s only a matter of time. You purchase the land and think to yourself, in nine short months, you will have it all.

But suddenly your agent calls to tell you, the land is not properly zoned, and the city has not approved it for building your perfect home. They have instead, given you land in the country, where an old country home sits. You are absolutely devastated, your dreams vanishing right before your eyes. You know you can’t back out now, you need a place to live, and despite it not being what you wanted, you know that somehow you will manage and that you can continue on.

You tell everyone what has happened, and everyone is disappointed, some even offering their condolences. You know that everyone else has a nice city home, and that was what you had planned, but you have to come to terms with the fact that you must learn to live in the country.

You go to see the property every month until closing and something funny happens. You start to fall in love with the place. The air is fresh, it’s peaceful and serene. There’s a pond on the land, and the house, though not a new all brick home, is quaint, and has lots of hidden potential. You soon realize it’s not a awful place, it’s just a different place. It’s slower paced than the city, less noisy and flamboyant, but it’s beautiful none the less. And in the process, you soon realize you may even get to meet some new and wonderful neighbours.

Its closing day and you suddenly find yourself full of anticipation, but you are still a little worried. After all, it isn’t what you had originally hoped for, and the house may need some repairs. But you are determined to accept it, and tackle everything one step at a time. You open the front door, and suddenly you are thrilled with what you see. The house is lovely, and has lots of character. The rooms are smaller but it’s decorated with beautiful attention and detail. The kitchen has marble instead of granite, and the bathroom has a soaker tub instead of a Jacuzzi. There isn’t a walk-in closet in sight, but the rooms all come with an indescribable view. Somehow, you just know that it was always meant to be and that this is now home.

Our Stick Family

Hunter's Age Ticker

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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Have you ever heard such an infectious laugh? One that makes you just want to burst out laughing yourself? Well, Hunter is no exception to that rule. Here is our precious boy having fun, kicking the ball to Daddy and laughing his head off in the process! Too cute not to post and share with the world. Enjoy the one minute clip!

About Me

Sandi Graham-McWade is a mother of a chromosomally enhanced Kindergartener named Hunter, her sweet toddler Hayleigh and new baby boy, Hudson! She is the current President and executive director of her local Down syndrome Association making her a strong advocate for Down syndrome. She is a loving wife to her wonderful soul-mate and husband John. Sandi has been a Police Officer since January 1998 (17 yrs), and has published 3 books including: I have Down syndrome, What Does That Mean? Sandi is also an Incorporated business owner of 5 businesses including her professional photography Random Moments Photography, which can be viewed at, http://www.randommomentsphotography.ca and also on Blogger: http://www.randommomentsphotography.net